Shadows of Greatness
by Luna Greymalkin
Summary: The new year at Hogwarts has arrived. Two new students are thrust into a an environment totally unprepared for the surprises that wait ahead.
1. The Arrival

"Come on Darian, we are going to be late," shouted Isis.  
  
"Ouch," groaned Darian as she leaned forward and removed her earphones that had up till 10 seconds ago had been the instrument from which she was listening to one of her favorite bands.  
  
Giving her sister a death look she hissed, "You know you can get my attention just as easily by tapping me on the shoulder. You don't have to use your mind, "she whined.  
  
"I know," replied Isis as she tried to stifle a smile that was threatening to spread across her face. She started to go through the papers in her backpack, looking frantically for their tickets.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Darian mumbling something under her breath. "Not now, this is neither the time nor the place for that, besides the train is going to arrive any minute and I can't find our tickets, are you sure Mom put them in my bag."  
  
Darian picked up one of her duffel bags and gave one of her famous "I know something you don't know" looks,  
"No I've got the tickets in here, chill out, you think that we were going into a test naked and unprepared."  
  
Isis grinned at her sister, "I thought that was your dream."  
  
With that Darian threw one of her bags at Isis who caught it and fell back into the person behind her.  
  
Not to happy, the person turned around to glare down at Isis on the floor.  
  
"Excuse me, but what do you think you are doing." He hissed.  
  
Isis stared up at the boy, half in shock and half in dismay; this was going to get ugly. She got to her  
feet and brushed off her plaid skirt. "Sorry, my bad, I just lost my balance," she said in a wavering voice.  
  
The boy continued to stare down at her, his blue eyes glinting in anger. His white hair slicked back into a short ponytail at the base of his neck.  
  
"Do we know you," asked Darian as she walked over to her sisters side and picked up some of the bags that had fallen to the floor.  
  
"No, not unless you were at Hogwarts last year. I'm Bastin Ravenseye. You might know my family, they have a very prestigious lineage.  
  
"Sorry," Darian replied with a sly smile on her face, "never heard of them."  
  
He stood there is shock for a few moments and fuming, silently turned on his heel and stormed away.  
  
Over his shoulder her spat, "Wonderful, more lower level witch families to deal with at school, my goodness, what is Hogwarts coming to."  
  
Isis groaned inwardly, "here we go," she muttered. She reached out to grab Darian and stop her, but she didn't get there in time.  
  
"Lower level," Darian growled and she reached for her wand. "I show him lower level. Quidam Calamitas."  
  
Isis breathed inward harshly, if her spells served her correctly they needed to leave there and quick. She grabbed a few bags in one hand and her sister in the other. Pointing them in the direction of Platform 9 and 3/4 she shoved her sister through. The last thing she heard Bastian say was, "What do you mean I lost my ticket, it was right here a minute ago, wait a minute, HEY COME BACK HERE!"  
  
"You're going to get us into trouble and we haven't even boarded yet," Isis mumbled handing her tickets to the trainman.  
  
She grinned back at her, "Sorry couldn't help it, besides the little twerp deserved it."  
  
"Mother and Father would never approve," Isis shot back.  
  
"I know, but that's why it's so much fun. You're such a wimp, you and your potions," Darian replied, "spells are funner."  
  
"And quicker," Isis finished her sentence, "isn't that what you were going to say, honestly you have no patience, besides potions last longer" Isis began to turn away, she whipped back around. "Funner? Where'd that come from?"  
  
They continued to argue the finer points of magic as they collected their bags and boarded the train.  
  
They struggled through the bustling throng of students and settled into the first empty compartment they could find. They dumped their bags and collapsed into the seats.  
  
"I still can't believe that you did that," Isis said as she started to put her bags away.  
  
"Would you rather had me beat him up. It was either one or the other, the spell was less of a hassle. And besides, you wanted to do something too. I heard you. Remember you can't hide your thoughts from me," Darian said as she laid down on the seat.  
  
"That's beside the point. I may have wanted to do something, but I didn't. It's a little trait called restraint. You might want to look into that one day," Isis said as she uncovered the cage sitting next to her on the seat. Her barn owl peaked out from his cage with curious and knowing eyes. He wore no tag, but the cage plate bore his name, "Jareth."  
  
Darian muttered something that sounded like "whatever" and rolled over.  
  
"Okay. What's wrong with you lately," balked Isis as she pulled a book out of one of the bags next to her.  
  
"I don't know," Darian slurred as she rolled back over and opened the carrier that was stuck under all her bags. Out sulked a huge black and white cat, a little silver collar hung around it's neck with the name Ashlar engraved on it. The cat jumped up on Darian and fell back asleep on her chest. "I think I'm just nervous about this whole trip......aren't you."  
  
"Of course I'm nervous! I'm just hiding it better than you. You get all sulky when your nervous." commented Isis, still reading her book.  
  
Suddenly the train whistle sounded and the train surged to life. As it jolted out of the station,  
Darian was almost thrown out of her seat, and the once sleeping cat on her chest was thrust awake and dug all 20 claws into Darian's chest.  
  
"AAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH! Get off of me you little...." Darian screamed as she detached the cat from her chest and tossed him on the seat next to Isis, where he promptly curled up and went back to sleep.  
  
Isis started laughing uncontrollably at this.  
  
Darian is someone who doesn't forget easily. And when it comes to her pride she forgives even less, with no exception to her sister. She shot Isis a dirty look and fumed as Isis playfully and intentionally started to stroke a thoroughly contented Ashlar.  
  
Darian tossed a newly found book at Isis and mumbled "Traitor" in the direction of the sleeping feline next to her. Isis smiled at her, one of her "you know you love me" smiles.  
  
The rest of the afternoon passed in relative silence. Darian curled up with a spell-book and her CD player blaring in her ears. The only signs of life she showed were her breathing and the soft turning of pages. After a while Ashlar grew tired of Isis and hopped back over to her mistress. He curled up on Darian's side and promptly fell to sleep.  
  
Isis also dug into a book, she would however stop every so often to look out of the window at the beautiful English countryside. The sun crept silent through the sky and after a few hours the scenery changed.  
  
"We're getting close," mumbled Darian as she pulled off her now almost useless headphones, "it just started to go haywire. Well I'll have them for the trip home."  
  
"Yes," replied her sister pushing a few stray hairs out of her face, "the scenery has been changing, we should be there within the hour. We better put on our school robes."  
  
Darian sat up and put her book and player in her bag and pulled out her robes and through them on. She turned and picked up her napping cat and placed him in her lap. The feline was momentarily displeased with being disturbed, but immediately forgave his mistress as she started to brush his dark coat. The only sound in the cabin was Ashlar's purring.  
  
After another hour the train ground to a stop. Expecting it this time, Darian dug her hands into the cushions and triumphantly looked to her sister when she was not thrown for the second time.  
  
Isis grinned at her sister, "Yes I shall see to it that you have a medal awarded."  
  
Darian growled and started to swing her legs down. Unfortunately for her and too late for her to notice she stepped on Ashlar, who was now sleeping on the floor in front of her, she lost her balance and wound up back on the floor. She would have immediately retaliated had not the conductor stepped into the doorway and spoken.   
  
He looked into the cabin with a slight amusement and definite confusion upon seeing one girl towering over another. The one standing putting her books away, the other positioning herself to push the standing one out the window.  
  
"Ladies, we're here, please exit the train. Don't worry, your luggage will be sent to your rooms." He said promptly and moved on to the next car.  
  
After a few minutes they found themselves outside on a small platform.  
  
"Strange," mumbled Isis looking up at the sky, "it was morning when we left London yet it seems late evening her. We were traveling over 4 hours."  
  
"Jeez, you think it might be that funny witchcraft that they talk about on TV," teased Darian in her best childlike voice. Isis shot her a sheepish look and drew her attention from the teaming crowd of students to the end of the platform where a giant figure carrying a lamp lumbering toward them.  
  
"Firs' years this way! Firs' years over here," boomed the figure as it came into view. It, he was a very large and hairy man. He was covered in dingy furs and had on large boots.  
  
All the first year students gathered in front of him.   
"That must be Hagrid!" Isis thought.  
"Yeah, I guess it is." Darian said out loud. Isis jumped , she had momentarily forgotten her sister was there.  
"Don't do that!" hissed Isis as she prodded her silent sister.  
  
Before Darian could reply to her sister, Hagrid's voice boomed over the crowd . "A'right. Firs' years follow me. Mind yer step. The path is wet."  
"Well…..Do or Die time," whipped Darian for the millionth time that day.  
  
The students started the climb up the slippery hill with great difficulty, but finally made it to the top. In the distance stood Hogwarts. Its towers reached high into the sky. A large enclosure encompassed a large section of land on the grounds. Maybe it was the Quidditch pitch that there mother told them about.  
  
"Holy Sh…….," Darian started to say before her sister's hand clamped over her mouth. All the other students stared in awe at the castle that stood before them.  
  
"No more than four people to a boat.," Hagrid said climbing into the first of the boats that were moored to the shore of the lake in front of them.  
  
The students all climbed into the boats. Once they were all in the boats took off under their own power. Darian and Isis were in a boat with two other students.  
  
"Hi my name's Rainar Von Pinn," said the tiny boy with shot brown hair, sitting across from Darian "and this is......."  
  
"Minya Greenoaken," the bubbly girl next to Isis joyfully rang out. "What's your names?"  
  
"Well, I'm Isis Greymalkin and is my sister Darian," Isis replied.  
  
They finally reached the shore, and disembarked from the boats. They followed Hagrid to a great set of doors, which he opened like they were nothing. There on the other side of the door stood a stern looking woman. She had her slightly graying black hair pulled back in a tight bun. She wore tiny glasses that barely hung on her nose and she was covered almost completely in emerald green. She turned and opened the doors behind her revealing the large entrance hall. The older witch mounted the stairs in front of them and turned.  
  
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said in a pleasing manner. I am Professor McGonagall, the head of Griffindor. The sorting ceremony is about to begin. I will return shortly, when we are ready for you." with this she turned around and exited the doors behind her.  
  
Isis and Darian just stood there, taking everything in.  
"Wow, I can't believe that we are finally here."   
  
"It's impressive, I wonder where He will be," replied Isis.  
  
"He'll probably be at the sorting ceremony, Mom said it's the big shindig for the school, not counting Halloween and the end of the year celebration," said Darian.  
  
Professor McGongagall finally came back out and beckoned the students into the banquet hall. All the first years looked around in awe. The room was huge, lined with high window. Candles hung in the air above their heads, in the shadow of the enchanted ceiling. There were five long tables decorated with gold. The upperclassmen were already sat at their tables awaiting the first years arrivals. Professor McGongagall ushered the students to the front of the hall, where a single three-legged stool had been set out in front of the teachers table. Both Isis and Darian met many eyes as they passed; hostile, friendly, curious, and disinterested. Isis unfortunately met the eye of an all too familiar face. Bastin glared at the both of them from the Slytherin table. To their dismay the had to pass his table. Mentally Isis warned Darian and they turned to glare back at him. He let Darian pass by with an evil grin but let his leg slip out to trip Isis.  
  
"Ouch," she gasped as she hit the floor. The surrounding crowd had burst out in laughter and then back to their silent conversations. Not ever the one to lead to confrontation, heck Darian did that enough for both of them. Isis turned to glare at Bastin.  
  
"This will be finished, little boy," she hissed as she got up and continued to the front of the hall. Bastin, Isis and Darian all understood. He has gone to far, going after her in such an immature fashion.  
  
Professor McGonagall came to the stool with an old, dilapidated old hat and a scroll.   
"All new students please come forward as I call your name." Each student was called and in turn each went to his or her respective fates. Finally it came, "Darian Alexina Greymalkin". Darian walked up the steps toward the stool. As she did she finally got a chance to survey the head table. As she scanned through the brightly dressed teachers her eye finally fell on the one person that she and Isis had been waiting to see. He was staring straight back at Darian. She turned around and sat down, as she did she whispered to her sister's mind. "There he is! At the head table!" By that point the sorting hat was already sitting on her head. It magically sprang to life.  
  
"Table? What's all this about tables?" the hat said questionably.   
  
"Nothing!" Darian said hopping it would believe her lie.  
  
"Nothing! HA!" the hat said as it sat itself firmer on her head. "Ah, that's what you were talking about. Well.......with that fact in mind, where to put you?" The hat frowned in concentration. "Hmmm, you have great skill and strength, but you lack the discipline. You have no restraint, but you do have skill. This is a hard decision."  
Darian looked every bit the calm, collected smart ass that she portrayed, but Isis could she through all that, she could see that Darian was scared, and had absolutely no reason to be. Just then the hat finally made it's decision.  
  
"Ah......I'll place you in Griffindor.  
  
McGonagall picked the hat off Darian's head as she walked to the Griffindor table, as the next name was called, "Isis Desidero Greymalkin". She stepped forward and sat down. The hat was placed on her head and once again it frowned in concentration.   
  
"Very interesting. Another one. Definite skill and ability but no obvious strength. You have ambition and discipline.......Hmmm, let me think.......ah yes. Slytherin."  
  
Isis who had been hoping for Griffindor, cursed in her head. Darian answered her, "Chill! It will be okay."  
  
As Isis got up and slowly walked over to her new family she kept transmitting to her sister.   
  
"Easy for you to say, you're not sharing a house with that jackass Bastin," she whined back.  
  
Darian, for once, with no mirth in her mind or expression, stood up and yelled across the room to her sister, "DON'T WORRY, WE'LL FIGURE SOMETHING OUT."  
With that Isis sat down next to Mina Greenoaken, who had been sorted into Slytherin also.  
  
The last name was soon called "Rainar VonPinn," he was placed in Griffindor and came over to sit next to Darian. After all the students were settled, the head of the school, Professor Dumbledore, stood up.  
  
"Welcome to Hogwarts," he bellowed in a friendly manner, "You have come here to learn the art of magic, but do not misunderstand, it does not matter your rank nor your lineage that will decide your skill and understanding of the arts. You must master them, understand them, and above all respect them. This is the key to all that is intangible. Before we go on to the food I wish to remind you students that the Dark Woods are off limits and Mr. Flich has also asked me to remind you that there is to be no magic in the hallways. And now, feast."  
  
The golden plates erupted with food. All the students gorged themselves on the amazing array of food before them. 


	2. Settling In

Darian and Isis kept up their mental contact with each other while they were eating. Darian continued to try to comfort her sister throughout dinner but the most that she could get out of Isis was vivid mental images of what she would like to be doing to Bastian   
  
Darian cracked up several times during dinner because of such images. She snorted gravy out of her nose at one point, and that in and of itself made Isis feel a little better.  
  
In addition, the fact that at several points Darian gave her advice on the execution of such torture.  
  
Isis still fumed, "He deserves it, you know he does", she said in her mind to Darian.  
  
Darian smiled sweetly at her sister over the heads of the other students, "No comment", she whispered.  
  
They kept up their telepathy while being escorted to their rooms. At one point, they were walking up the stairs as the stairs changed position from one row to another when both of them received a sharp pain that dissolved their thoughts immediealty.  
  
Both Darian and Isis winced in pain from the jolt. They were still wondering when they went to bed that night. Who had sent that and why?   
  
Someone calling her name awakened Isis in the middle of the night. She sat up in bed and looked around trying to focus her sleep-clouded eyes.  
  
"Isis", it called out to her.  
  
Isis knew that it was only in her mind. The voice was coming to her in her mind; she seriously doubted anyone else could hear it.  
  
"Darian", she called out in her mind, "is that you", but she received a severe shock like they both had earlier and she shut her eyes tightly for a moment until the pain passed.  
  
"Isis", it called again.  
  
"Fine," she mumbled getting out of bed and heading toward the door. "I'll play along."  
  
She stepped out into the darkened hallway and looked around. No sign of anything or anyone awake. Even the portraits on the wall that had so warmly greeted them earlier in the night sat motionless and sleeping in their canvases.  
  
"Isis", it called from behind a door at the end of the hall.  
  
Isis, by this point was getting extremely irritated. This was obvious in the way she swiftly went to the door, opened it, and stepped inside.  
  
She fumed silently as she waited for her eyes to adjust. Outside the room, the moon had been shining brightly through the windows. However, its light did not extend into the room and Isis had to wait to be able to see what was around her.   
  
It looked like an office that was filled to the brim with books, papers, and parchments. On one side of the room opposite, a desk with a large glassed shelf full of bottles and glasses. Although the light was dim, she could make out the Latin phrases on the scrolls. One of them was a levitation spell, if her memory served her right. She would have to ask Darian about it later, but for right now, she wanted to find out what was going on. Finally, her eyes adjusted and she could make out the forms of the room better. Her nerve was slowly wearing off in that she noticed a black clad figure sitting in a chair across the room from her.  
  
Isis swallowed harshly and then spoke, "All right I've had enough of this. Who are you, why did you call me here, and are you the one who keeps sending those distortion spells into my and Darian's minds."  
  
Her voice sounded braver than she really felt at that moment. A candle on the table next to the occupied chair burst to life with a loud crackle.  
  
She breathed in sharply when she saw who it was. Severus Snape. Their father.   
She was in shock and for this stayed where she was next to the door.  
  
"Hello Isis," he said.  
  
"Hello father," she whispered in shock.  
  
His expression gave away nothing except vague disinterest and mild irritation.  
  
"My, my with your little speech one could close their eyes and think that Darian stood where you stand now", he replied a slight smile cracking his grim face.  
  
Darian smiled slightly, "Well, with the day that I have had I have every right to be a little irritated".  
  
On this point, he stood and crossed the room to her. He towered over her and looked down his slim nose at her. "That brings me to my point what are you and Darian doing here, I thought that your mother was taking you to Willowridge with her."  
  
Isis looked up at her father, "She changed her mind, she thought that you and the two of us needed some quality time, besides you wanted us to have the best magic training and last time I checked Hogswort had the best programs".  
  
"Isis, you don't understand, there are complications with you and Darian being here." Snape said as he walked back and sat at his desk again.  
  
This time Isis followed him, "What complications, there are several professors here that have children attending classes. Why are we so different?"  
  
He averted his gaze from his daughter and replied coldly, "There just are, I have half a mind to call in a transfer for both of you. You do not belong here."  
  
Isis' soft features darkened and she had to fight to keep the anger out of her voice. "That's funny because a certain Bastian Ravenseye said that very same thing to Darian and I right before we boarded the train. We have as much right to be here as anyone, and you know that. We have the right to become good sorceresses like you and mother wanted and where else can we do that but here. What would mother think if she heard what you are saying and thinking right now"?  
  
Snape, who up until this moment had been avoiding his daughter's gaze turned to her, "Thinking", he asked.  
  
Isis blushed lightly and looked down. "It would seem that you have been working on your telepathy and mind reading haven't you". Snape smiled slightly at his daughter, "I swear sometimes you are more persistent than your sister".  
  
He exhaled sharply and stood once again. He took his daughter in his arms and hugged her. "Fine," he said, "you can stay but keep it between you and Darian that I am your father, problems could arise if that becomes known."  
  
Isis looked up as Snape gave her a serious look, "No arguments, I will allow you two to have your mental conversations again if you keep quiet. However, if I hear that you have told anyone I will have you transferred. Is that clear"  
  
Isis smiled at her father, "I knew that was you, and yes we have a deal".  
  
Snape turned Isis in the way of the door, "Now go back to bed, you both have big days tomorrow".  
  
Isis smiled and walked to the door but before she could exit, was stopped by Snape's voice.  
  
"Bastian really said that to you," he asked.  
  
"Yes, father, I mean Prof. Snape, he did", she replied.  
  
"Hmmm", he chuckled, "that's sounds like him. You will both learn what a little troublemaker he can be."  
  
"Well if he's not careful Darian will give him an "attitude adjustment". She's already tried once."  
  
"That sounds like her. Now back to you room Ms. Greymalkin."  
  
"Yes, Professor." Isis smiled and left the room. She made it back to her room and lay down in her bed. She did not expect to get much sleep that night; she would have to find Darian first thing that following morning. They had much to discuss. 


	3. Unexpected Discoveries

Unexpected Discoveries  
  
Darian had been happily walking down the hallway chatting with housemate Rainar von Pinn when she was literally tackled by a very excited Isis.  
  
Darian and Rainar walked around a corner to find themselves face to face with Isis. Isis grabbed Darian by the arm and shoved her in the direction of the eating hall.   
  
"We have to talk", Isis gasped in between heavy breaths for air.  
  
Darian could only mutely nod at Isis before being led away. Rainar called after them both, "I'll see you later". Darian raised her hand in mute acknowledgment and continued to follow Isis.   
  
They entered into a full and very noisy eating hall where most of the students both new and old had already taken their seats and were happily eating.  
  
Isis and Darian sat down at a table that was not occupied as of that moment and immediately full plates materialized before them on the table. Darian looked hungrily at her plate before grabbing her silverware and diving into it. Isis was too busy still catching her breath to even notice her food.   
  
Between mouthfuls of egg Darian remarked, "It's called breathing, you don't have to struggle. Last time a checked it was an involuntary response."  
  
Isis grinned at her sister as she started to eat her own breakfast. "You would not believe the night that I had."  
  
Darian looked at her sister with curiosity. "Well"  
  
Isis looked at her sister and began to talk to her telepathically. She retold the previous nights events in great detail.  
  
"So that's what that pain was." Darian rubbed her still sore temples. "Hope you told him not to do that again, my head still hurts, I could barely even sleep."   
  
"I know I hardly slept at all," said Isis as she played with the food on her plate.   
  
"I wonder what complications he was talking about." Darian said as she continued eating.  
  
"He was extremely surprised to find us here, which we already knew and he is happy to see us."  
  
Darian stared at her sister, "Why doesn't he want anyone to know that we're his daughters, a lot of professors have kids here, why are we so different."  
  
"He wouldn't say, he only said that we are an exception, that problems could arise if it is found out, and I for one do not want to be transferred."  
  
"Unlike a certain, jackass by the name of Bastian Ravenseye", smirked Darian.  
  
"Now girls, watch your language," replied a male voice in both of their heads.  
  
Both girls spit out the eggs that they were eating. They stared at each other in disbelief before looking around to see who had said that. The reason that they were so in shock is that they had spent a great deal of time and energy to hone their skills of telepathy. This included the power that no one could intercept their conversations.  
  
They looked up at the head table and saw Severus Snape sitting there with a slightly amused look on his face.  
  
"My dear daughters, please don't sit there with your mouths open, it is quiet rude", he coyly replied  
  
He was met by unison, "Dad, get out of our minds." He grinned even wider and looked to another professor before starting a conversation. "Just consider it paybacks, my dears."  
  
Darian looked to her sister, "Paybacks, what in the hel…heck is he talking about."  
  
Isis would have answered her sister had not Minya Greenoaken sat down at the table.   
  
"Good morning, girls", she said brightly. "Isis, you must have been up early, I didn't see you this morning."  
  
Isis smiled at her brightly, "I'm a morning person", she hoping to get this particular conversation dropped and dropped quickly.  
  
Darian grinned at Isis chuckling a little, "You, a morning person, yeah right".  
  
Isis gave Darian a death look and kicked her, hard, under the table. "Unlike some people I understand that an immense amount of studying can be done in the early hours of the day".  
  
"I.E. you have no social life and therefore can go to bed early to be able to rise before dawn."  
  
Isis and Darian stared at each other for a minute before Darian stuck her tongue out at Isis.  
  
Isis shook her head in exasperation, "Child", she muttered with a grin.  
  
"By one minute," coyly replied Darian.  
  
"Seems like a year." Isis whispered to Minya. As she did, Darian took the opportunity to steal a piece of bacon off of her sister's plate.  
  
"Hey! That's mine! Keep your grubby little hands off my food."  
  
"You want it back!" Darian opened up her mouth to offer Isis the half chewed pork product.  
  
"That's disgusting!"   
  
"Your loss." Darian said as she sneaked another piece of bacon off her sister's plate.  
  
With this, all three girls laughed and began a conversation of the classes that they would be taking and who were in which class with which professor. Despite this light conversation, Darian and Isis continued their telepathy on the events of the previous evening and what Snape could have meant with his worry of people finding out their relationship to him.  
  
They were still talking about this when the bell rang and they separated for the rest of the morning. They would see each other again later that day in Potions and Alchemy for Beginners.  
  
What the girls did not know, however, is that they were being watched and despite their careful nature and that of their father, someone knew. This someone knew and would bide their time, for now, at least. 


	4. Work To Be Done

Work to be Done  
  
Isis and Darian separated after breakfast and did not see each other until later that afternoon. Both, luckily, had classes with their housemates Rainar and Minya. However, unluckily for Isis, she had to endure two classes in a row with Bastian. While trying to be a good student, as she usually was but now with the prodding of her father, she had to tolerate whispering that only she could hear and an occasional magic trick.   
  
The morning started with all her quills disappearing making her borrow one from Minya, and then later all reappearing forcing her to endure angry and confused looks from Minya. Later on it came to her freshly copied notes disappearing from her paper forcing her to work extra hard to keep up as well as try to remember what she had just written. By the time Isis and Darian met in potions that afternoon Isis had had more than she cared to admit. To prove the point of her distress, Darian not being especially affectionate to her sister in public could only hug her after laying eyes upon her anger filled and mentally exhausted face.  
  
Darian wrapped her arm around Isis' neck and began to mentally consol her.   
  
"You ok," she asked.  
  
Isis could only glare at Darian in response. Isis could be prone to tears when she was upset but if she became angry enough, her only release came from venting to her sister, or performing retaliation, which was more known by her sister than herself. However, since they were still in class Isis could not really talk to Darian or, as she really wanted to at that moment, concoct a potion causing Bastian's head to physically swell to the proportions that he emanated.  
  
The classroom that they walked into was similar to the other classrooma that both girls had already seen today, if not just a tad bit darker. Compared to Hogwarts Dining hall, living quarters, and exterior the classrooms paled in simple comparison. The room was fairly large considering that is occupied at that moment about thirty students. The walls were a yellow/white color and the benches and desks that the students sat at were plain, discolored wood. The room was filled to the brim with bookcases and shelving filled with various books, jars and different colored glass cylinders. Isis, trying to make herself feel better, concentrated on the many jars in one of the cupboards.  
  
She recited to herself the ingredients: Lavender, helps with relaxation, sleeping and good for attracting positive energy; wormwood, used in potions for activation of most chemicals, must use caution in the mixture process.   
  
Darian nudged her sister playfully in the ribs, "Hey give me a break class hasn't even started yet and you are already showing me up. Well you just wait until we get to charms, I will kick your butt."  
  
Isis grinned meekly in response. She would have retaliated had not the professor briskly walked into the room.   
  
"Get out a sheet of paper, I want to see what you really know," he said without missing a beat of reaching his desk and turning quickly around to face the loud groans coming from the student body.  
  
Snape grinned only slightly, "Oh come now, this is a good initiation."  
  
Darian and Isis exchanged worrisome glances.  
  
"Why do I have the feeling that you will do better on this than me," whispered Darian to Isis in her mind.  
  
Isis would have responded but she did not get the chance because as she began to communicate to her sister a large hand was slammed loudly down upon their desk.  
  
"Miss Greymalkin," Snape hissed, "kindly keep conversation restricted to after class and begin your test. Class, question one, list the medicinal purpose of newt scales and flies wings."  
  
Darian groaned aloud and began to write down what she hoped where the right answers, but having the distinct feeling that Isis would fare much better than she would in this particular class.  
  
Later after class Darian and Isis were walking to the Dining Hall when they passed Bastian with his usual following of lackies and so-called friends.   
  
He gave both Darian and Isis a gleeful look. Isis looked to Darian and intentionally shoved her into Bastian with her shoulder.  
  
"Ohhfff," cried Darian as her lost of balance causing both herself and Bastian to crash to the ground.  
  
Darian quickly got to her feet and brushed herself off. She glared at Isis, "Gessh, Isis learn to watch where you're going. I could have really hurt myself."  
  
Isis grinned sheepishly at her sister, "Sorry guess I was just distracted," Isis muttered looking directly at Bastian.  
  
Bastian could only glare at both girls as he got up and brushed himself off. "Yes, really, you should watch where you are going," he hissed. "I could have hurt myself as well," as he reached up to comb back his hair with his hands.  
  
Darian slid up beside him, past the other of his group and coyly put her arm around his neck. "Oh come on," she said sweetly, "a big strapping guy like you, you can take it." With this she punched him lightly in the side and grabbed Isis leading her away. "Later, Ravenswing," she called over her shoulder.  
  
Bastian fumed, "It's Ravenseye, you moron," he yelled after them.  
  
Suddenly he sniffed at the air. "What is that awful smell," he asked.  
  
One of his buddies stepped closer to him, "Uh, Bastian, I think that it is you."  
  
Bastian felt through his clothes not believing his friend until he stuck his hand into one of his cloak pockets. He grimaced as he withdrew his hand covered in a clear liquid and opened his pocket to view down at the small shards of glass and the liquid that lined his pocket. Everyone in his group took a step back from him.   
  
"Ewww, gross, that is skunk scent," one of the boys yelled. Slowly but surly all boys around him stepped away. They backed around the corner as ran down the hall as fast as they could leaving Bastian to fume alone in the hallway.  
  
In the Dining Hall as they sat down to eat Isis grinned at Darian. "I always knew that your pickpocket talents would come in handy someday."  
  
Darian grinned back, "Hey I only placed it on said victim, you are the one who made it, you are guiltier than me. Besides it was your idea, I was just a forced participant."  
  
Isis elbowed her sister in the ribs, "He deserved it."   
  
"I have only one thing to say, let the games begin," Darian said with a smile.  
  
Pausing only for a moment, Isis glared at her sister. "Guiltier, I swear." They promptly fell into hysterical laughter. 


	5. Mistakes and Consequences

Mistakes and Consequences  
  
Isis and Darian could hardly believe how time had flown while they were at Hogwarts. It was already Halloween and all the students were talking about the surprises that were rumored to be in the works for the main dinner. Aside from this, both Isis and Darian had more important things to worry about, midterms. They were studying in the library together dominating one of the larger couches. They had comfortably spread themselves out upon it and were deep in their History of Magic work. They had been there only an hour when Minya came running in and went directly to where they were studying.  
  
She was breathless as she sat down in the chair opposite the couch that Isis and Darian shared. "You guys will not believe what I just heard."  
  
Isis and Darian exchanged quizzical glances before looking back at Minya.  
  
"What's up," Darian asked putting her book away and changing her position of lying on her stomach to sitting up facing Minya.  
  
Minya smiled broadly before taking a deep breath to begin. "There is a new professor coming to Hogwarts."  
  
Darian raised her eyebrows in disinterested surprise, "What is so interesting about a new prof. coming here?"  
  
Minya, still catching her breath answered, "It's interesting considering that they have never had a new professor come in mid-term, especially under normal circumstances."  
  
"Who is he or she and what will he or she be teaching," asked Isis.  
  
"That is the weird part. Usually if a new professor comes to teach at Hogwarts everyone knows who they are, where they came from, and what they are going to teach, but in this case nobody knows who he or she is or what they will be teaching. As of right now no positions are open for anyone to take."  
  
Isis and Darian exchanged glances once again then looked back at Minya.  
  
Isis spoke up, "Very strange, I will admit."  
  
Darian started to put her books back into her book bag. "Maybe that is the surprise for the Halloween dinner, you know the introduction of a new prof."  
  
"Who knows, well anyway we should head to class," replied Isis to Darian as she too began to pack her book bag.  
  
Darian grinned broadly, "The only class the I can really get into, flying."  
  
Isis stood and stretched her cramped muscles, "Yeah, and the one you are most likely to get into trouble."  
  
Minya laughed at the evil look Darian gave Isis as she got up and in step with them for class.  
  
"At least I have fun, little-miss-never-do-anything-wrong," retaliated Darian.  
  
They got to the quiddich pitch just as Madame Hooch was coming through the main causeway.  
  
Isis, Darian, Minya and the other students took their positions next to their brooms as she walked up and started to yell orders.  
  
"All right everyone, call your brooms up and mount them, come on, hurry up."  
  
The air was filled with the various vocalizations of students yelling "Up!"  
  
On her second calling, Darian's broom came to her hand and she looked up grinning broadly at Isis.  
  
"Hey, I did it with only two calls instead of the three from yesterday," she said triumphantly.  
  
Isis grinned sardonically back at her sister and would have responded had not she been cut off by Madame Hooch.  
  
"Miss Greymalkin, now that you have got your broom in hand, please mount it."  
  
Darian grinned broadly at Madame Hooch but was rewarded only with her usual disdainful expression.  
  
Isis finally got her broom to come up to her hand on her fourth call and she gingerly mounted it.  
  
"All right students, I want you to start your warm-up.," yelled Madame Hooch.  
  
All the students levitated on their brooms, some more precarious than others. Darian took quite well to her broom, being that back home she had practiced endlessly. However it was more so for torment of any one who happened to cross her that she had become so comfortable on it. Isis on the other hand, was not as experienced on her broom as her sister. As she levitated on her broom about five feet off the ground she lost her bearings and started to teeter to the left to the point of almost falling off. Darian reaching out quickly and helped her to straighten herself saving her from a painful landing.  
  
Isis grinned sheepishly at her sister. "Thanks, but I much rather to keep my feet on solid ground.  
  
Darian hissed playfully at her, "Chicken."  
  
"And proud of it, thank you sister dearest."  
  
"All right students, we are going to do something a little different than we did yesterday. I want you to all pair off into groups of two and form two lines ten students to each line."  
  
As the students grouped off and measured themselves into two rows Madame Hooch continued her instructions.  
  
"We are going to play a form of Quiddich. I want each group of two to perform the function that one player would perform in a real game of Quiddich. Now understand all of you, this is not a real game. You are not to make rough contact with anyone else; we are going to play a nice, clean, and safe game. Greenoaken, Von Pinn and Marshal, Errant, you are beaters, Steiner, Neville and Hearth, Flicher, you are chasers. Arian, Chancellor and Blackburn, Carolingin, you are keepers, Greymalkin, and Ravenseye, Fillington you are seekers. All right get in your positions, let's get ready to play."  
  
"Cool," exclaimed Darian, "we are seekers, they are the best position"  
  
"Yeah, great," Isis feigned joy, "but if I fall off my broom, it's your fault."  
  
All students took their positions and waited for the release of the balls. As the quaffle and bludgers were released the other players went into action. At this point the golden snitch was let loose and it flew out of site. With no prompting Darian shot upward on her broom followed quickly by Isis. While Darian and Isis both watched the game and looked around for the snitch, they failed to see Bastian hovering just below and off to the side of them. They were, like Darian and Isis, engrossed in the prospect of finding the snitch first.  
  
Suddenly Ramon Fillington, who was a good friend of Bastian yelled out, "There, there's the snitch."  
  
With that both Ramon and Bastian flew up fast past Darian and Isis, intent on reaching it first. However as Bastian passed, he brushed violently against Isis causing her to lose her balance. Paying no attention to this Bastian flew up and easily snatched the snitch out of the air, before decending to the ground in triumph.  
  
Being caught completely off guard and still not very good at flying Isis promptly lost her balance. "Aahhh," she cried as she slipped quickly off her broom.  
  
Now this was of a great deal of concern due mainly to the fact that both Darian and Isis were a good fifty feet off the ground. Darian quickly reached down to catch her sister but only grasped her glove. Isis tried to pull herself back on her broom but couldn't get her bearings fully. She thought quickly and decended to the ground just shy of the game still in full play. She hovered a little over 15 feet off the ground before she lost her balance once again and fell off her broom.  
  
She hit the ground hard with a loud cracking sound. Isis rolled over on her side, curling up and holding her ankle. "Ooww," she cried biting back tears.  
  
Madame Hooch came running over and knelt down over Isis' ankle. At that moment Darian landed and sat down next to her sister.  
  
"Are you ok," she asked obviously worried.  
  
"She'll be fine, it looks to be just a bad sprain," replied Madame Hooch. "What happened up there."?  
  
During this time both Bastian and Ramon had landed with the other students and stood about watching Isis and Madame Hooch.  
  
Bastian quickly came forward, "I'm really sorry Madame Hooch," he gushed sincerity, "I'm afraid I got too excited and in my hurry to get to the golden stitch I accidentally bumped her."  
  
Madame Hooch looked warily at Bastian and finally signed, "That's fine Bastian, just be more careful next time. Miss Greymalkin, take your sister directly to the infimriy and come back here for the rest of class."  
  
Darian mutely nodded at her while she helped Isis to her feet. Isis groaned as she tried to position her ankle to where she only had to put a small amount of weight on it. Darian took Isis' arm and put it across her shoulders. Before they turned to walk away they both spied Bastian looking at them over his shoulder with a large grin plastered across his face. He was already being congradulated by the other members of the Slytherin house for winning the match.  
  
Darian gave him a malicious glare as she turned with Isis to go to the nurse.  
  
  
  
As they made their way slowly to the nurse's hall, Darian and Isis talked about what happened.  
  
"The little jerk pushed me on purpose, and he got away with it, Owww, jeesh that hurts," said Isis.  
  
"Yeah, that little twerp is starting to work my last nerve, we really need to do something about him. He is going too far, you could have really been hurt this time," replied Darian.  
  
"That's for sure, maybe we could talk to Professor McGonalgall," Isis said gingerly applying weight to her hurt ankle. "I really don't want to revert to a constant war of practical jokes."  
  
"We could always talk to dad, I mean he is the head of Slytherin, Bastian's house," said Darian.  
  
Unfortunately for them when Darian spoke this, they did not know that they weren't alone.  
  
"Oh my, what have we here, what has happened to you my dear," came a male voice.  
  
Both girls froze and looked behind them at the man walkly briskly up to them. He was a young looking man, most likely in his early thirties with shoulder length red hair pulled back in a low ponytail. He wore long black robes with silver lining the hem and cuffs. He walked around in front of them and stopped to examine them. A broad smile on his face.  
  
Both Darian and Isis were dumbstruck and could only stand there silent for a moment. They shared the same thought, "Had he heard?"  
  
"Uh, I had an accident in flying," stammered Isis.  
  
"Oh you poor dear, shall I help you to the nurse's hall," he asked, his voice full of concern.  
  
"No thank you," piped up Darian, "I'm her sister and I can get her there, but thanks anyways."  
  
"Very well then, I shall let you be on your way," he jovially spoke.  
  
"Wait a moment," spoke Isis, "forgive me but who are you, I don't recognize you."  
  
"Oh yes," he smiled, "I am a new professor here at Hogwarts. I will be teaching History of Socerery. My name is Professor Errol, and you are?"  
  
"My name is Isis Greymalkin, this is my sister Darian."  
  
"Greymalkin, Greymalkin, why does that sound familiar. Does your family originate in the Scottish lowlands," he asked.  
  
Isis cut Darian off, "No, I'm sorry. You must have us mistaken with someone else. Our family originates in southern Europe, near Belgrade."  
  
He smiled even more than he had before. He wrapped his hands into his flowing robes. "Very good," he mused, "well hopefully I will see you soon." With that he briskly walked down the hall and turned down a corridor.  
  
Darian turned to Isis. "Why did you stop me," she asked.  
  
"Because I got a very bad vibe from him," she replied looking after him. "We should speak to father about this, I have a bad feeling about him."  
  
On that note they continued on in verbal silence as they sparingly discussed in their thoughts what should be done about this Professor Errol and about Bastian. 


	6. Halloween

Halloween  
  
Darian and Isis could hardly believe it. Halloween was just one day away. They were enjoying the cool night air on one of the open pavilions leading out to the grounds of the school discussing the banquet and the relief that earlier that day they had survived their midterms.  
  
Isis lay on her stomach on a stone bench thoroughly engrossed in Famous Witches and Wizards while Darian sprawled comfortably on the grass played with Ashlar.  
  
Darian was practicing levitation with wand in hand and amusing Ashlar when one of the apples she was trying to levitate actually rose up and gave something for Ashlar to paw towards. It was, to the oblivious observer a quiet moment between the sisters but they were in reality talking to each other mentally.  
  
Darian changed her position on the ground from laying on her side to sitting up and promptly poked her sister in the leg with her wand. Isis, who was still reading looked up at her sister with shock and dismay. "Yes," she asked raising her eyebrows.  
  
Darian did one of her famous pouts. "You didn't answer me," she replied a smile spreading across her face.  
  
"Answer what," asked Isis very much confused.  
  
"What happened to Bastian," she asked again. "You are in the Slytherin house, you have to know something about what happened."  
  
Isis looked over her shoulder down the increasingly dark hallway. The torches had not been lit yet for the night. Isis turned back to her sister. "I promised dad that I wouldn't say anything, even to you," Isis replied in her sister's mind.  
  
Darian stood up, slightly irritated but not fully angry yet. Hands on hips she looked harshly down at Isis. "What, does dad not trust me? Does he think I will go and scream it from the highest tower?"  
  
Isis sat up and looked up at her sister remorse spread across her face. "No," she stammered, "it's just that I am a part of the Slytherin household and I have to whether I want to or not keep their discussions private."  
  
"But I'm your freakin' sister," whined Darian.  
  
Isis exhaled heavily and stood up. She began putting her books into her bags when she heard the loud screech of an owl. She raised her arm up and Jareth flew down from the wall overlooking the Quidditch pitch where he had been perched.  
  
Isis avoided the angry and hurt eyes of her sister as she pulled her book bag strap over her head and situated both her school robes and Jareth.  
  
Finally, burdened by the stare of her sister, she exhaled loudly again and picking up her sister's bag and shoving it into her hands, looked behind them and said softly, "Come on." Darian quickly picked up Ashlar and placed him in her bag and hurried after her sister.  
  
Jareth fluttered his wings slightly in the night breeze as Isis pulled her clock closer around her shoulders. She kept looking around as they made their way silently across the school grounds. Darian also keep watch as she waited impatiently for her sister to speak.  
  
"Look," Isis finally said, "I know that you won't say anything but realize that what I'm telling you is going against not only father's wishes but the code of conduct between the houses." Darian rolled her eyes.  
  
"A few days ago, several of us were sitting in the common room studying. You were in the library working on your report for Professor McGonagall. I was finishing up the report that report for Herbology on the medicinal qualities of black root and willow's weed. It was pretty quiet except for a few people that had engaged in a game of wizard's chess. Anyway, Bastian and his buddies had been talking about something when they decided that they were going to go to bed. He went upstairs to the boy's dormitories and I was greatly relived believing that I would finally have some peace and quiet. A few minutes later there was a loud yell coming from the boy's area. Everyone jumped and some people went up to see what had happened. Bastian ran back down to the common room red faced and extremely angry. He stormed over to the corner that I had been studying in and got in my face. He started screaming at me.  
  
'You stupid girl, why did you do that? Do you know how much those things cost?' I just stared at him for a few seconds and then said back to him that I had no idea what he was talking about. He kept yelling at me that I was sick and had gone too far and that he was going directly to father. He sent two of his friends to go find him while standing there not letting me leave. A few minutes later father showed up and demanded to know what was going on. Well Bastian immediately started accusing me of destroying his things and I told them both that I had no idea what he was talking about.  
  
Father took us both up to the boy's room and I finally got to see what I was being accused of. Bastian's bed and belongings had been totally ransacked. The curtains on his bed had been ripped, the bed turned upside down and all his belongings thrown all over the room. Bastian told father to look in his chest that lay at the end of his bed. He did and saw that someone had placed a very dead cat in there and had shredded his belongings inside as well. On the headboard of his bed was also some writing. On the board was written 'get out before it's too late.' Father told us to follow him to his office and we did. The entire way there Bastian kept accusing me of having done it. I was too much in shock to really say anything because on the one hand I was shocked but on the other hand I didn't feel too badly for him. Besides my ankle was still hurting. We got to his office and father had Bastian give the sequence of events to him, when he finished father sent him back to his room.  
  
When he finally left, father turned to me. Keep in mind that the only reason that Bastian left quietly is that he promised to send a letter to my parents, and that I would be punished for my actions. After he left I told father that, yes we had played practical jokes on him, as well as he reciprocated on us, but that I was not able nor had the inclination to do such a thing. Father believed me and told me that for my own safety that it would be best that I get detention to make it look like I did it and so that Bastian would not retaliate. In all honesty the whole situation seems to put him off, more so than just the act itself.  
  
Anyways, a few days later, both father and Dumbledore received letters from Bastian's father demanding that I be expelled for such actions. Both refused to do that saying that I had already been appropriately punished. I had hoped that this was the end of it but just in case I took to keeping all my things in my chest and putting a locking potion on it that father gave me. Unfortunately, that wasn't to be the end of it. Bastian found out that his books had been cursed when he went to practice some spells for Professor McGonagall's class and his hand was burnt badly. Well his father threw a fit and decided that it was in Bastian's best interests that his son be educated at another school since Hogwarts was so lax in properly punishing its students.  
  
He left earlier this week. Now the entire Slytherin house thinks of me as some sick witch. Even Minya has been giving me the cold shoulder as of late. Father told me not to tell you because he was worried that you would go and do something stupid to clear my name."  
  
Darian repositioned her book bag on her arm and gave her sister a sidelong look. "Well, he's right."  
  
Looking around once more, Isis spoke. "It doesn't really matter. People are going to believe what they want and if they think I did that then that's just fine. Maybe they will cut me some slack for it."  
  
Darian gave her sister an evil grin. "Well I still don't appreciate not being told, but I can understand why he didn't say anything."  
  
Isis and Darian feeling the sudden cold chill in the air turned back toward the main doors. "We should get to bed," Isis said, "the celebration is tomorrow so I would like to be rested."  
  
Darian grinned widely at her sister with a glint in her eye, "It's Party time! She replied as she strolled down the hall in front of her sister.  
  
Isis rolled her eyes at her sister. "Oh great I finally get out of trouble and you are hell bent on getting me back into it." 


	7. Halloween Night

"ISIS, WAKE UP!" Isis bolt up in her bed holding her pillow to her head. Through her groggy thoughts she cursed the voice who had woken her, and the fact that a pillow would do her no good with someone talking, or in this case yelling, to her in her mind.  
  
She hissed as sweetly as possible to her sister, "Yes Darian, you SCREAMED!"  
  
"Come on, wake up, do you know what day it is?"  
  
She pulled back the covers on her bed and got out of bed. As she pulled her bathrobe on she answered. "Yes, as I recall that today is Halloween."  
  
"YES," yelled Darian, "Party time, now get your butt down to the dining hall before I start eating your food."  
  
Isis ran her finger through her hair and grumbled as she headed to the bathroom, "Hard to eat my food when it doesn't materialize till I get there."  
  
Half an hour later she emerged into the dining hall and upon seeing her sister waving to her headed over to one of the long tables and sat down. Isis looked at the top of Darian's head as she sat down. "Nice horns," she said sarcastically, "I knew they would grow in some day." She was speaking of the two small demon horns that protruded from the top of Darian's head. They were black with an entwining silver strip going up from the base.  
  
"'Bout time slow poke, "Darian said, "You don't need that much time to make yourself beautiful, you're a lost cause."  
  
Isis quietly scoffed as she ate the eggs on the plate that materialized before her. "How long will the spell last," she asked between mouthfuls.  
  
"Till tomorrow morning, I made certain when I did the spell that they weren't permanent."  
  
"Too bad, they seem natural on you," mumbled Isis. She was rewarded by a playful elbow to her side which made her spit out the toast that she was chewing on. Darian laughed triumphantly in response. "Now hurry up or we are going to be late for Herbology," whined Darian.  
  
Isis stopped and looked hard at her sister, "I knew it, who are you and what have you done with my real sister?"  
  
Darian stuck her tongue out at her sister and replied. "Hey I don't care about the class, I just want to find Richard Epone, he dared me that I wouldn't cast a spell on myself for a pair of horns."  
  
"Ah I see," Isis said as she finished her meal and stood up, "he hasn't figured out that you don't dare Darian Greymalkin to do something thinking she won't do it."  
  
"Exactly," Darian replied with a huge smilw as they headed to the main greenhouse.  
  
Isis got a kick out of Darian's obvious enjoyment of peoples' reactions to her horns. She was beginning to wonder if Darian would extend the spell indefinitely. The day was exceptionally nice. The sky was clear and the air crisp. A small breeze blew around the expansive lawn causing Darian's hair to blow in her face. She tugged it behind her ear and suddenly jogged ahead of Isis.  
  
"Hey Richard, check it out," she yelled pointing to her horns. A slightly older Hufflepuff walked over to meet Darian laughing. His face was a mixture of shock and amusement.  
  
"Man," he said running his fingers through his blond hair, "I really didn't think you would do it. Remind me never to doubt you again."  
  
Darian turned as Isis caught up with her, "You would think that they learn, but they never do," she huffed with a fake sigh.  
  
Isis raised her eyebrows to meet her sister's eyes and then Richard's. "I thought you didn't want to be late for Herbology."  
  
Suddenly deflated Darian pouted, "Oh yeah, I guess I did say that." Not missing a beat she grabbed her sister by the arm and pushed her in the direction of the greenhouse. "Well, I see it this way, the quicker we get to class; the quicker it gets over with, so move."  
  
Richard only shook his head as the three walked into the greenhouse just shy of Prof. Sprout entering as well and starting class.  
  
The party that was to take place that night was all anyone could talk about and one was hard pressed to find a student that didn't have something to say about what would happen that night and what the surprises would be in store. Several of the older students convinced many freshmen that they would see the professors switch heads and that students could pick their midterm grades. Others were convinced that the ghosts were going to do something. Isis even heard a student from Ravenclaw talking about Peeves and what he was threatening to do for Halloween to ruin the dinner. With all the excitement Isis and Darian completely forgot about there meeting with Professor Errol and the fact that they had meant to speak to their father about him.  
  
Classes went by quickly due mainly to the energy of the coming night. Before Isis and Darian knew it, it was time to go down to the dining hall for dinner. Isis and Darian had both, before the new school year began bought dress gowns for the formal occasions and they, like the other students, donned them before coming down to the dining hall. Darian waved to Isis across the room from her house table and then sat down next to Rainer who was chatting with another Gryffindor. Isis sat down at the Slytherin table and began talking with Minya. Thankfully Minya had finally realized that Isis had not done everything that the others in Slytherin accused her of and had been as of recent talking to her again. It was definitely nice to have someone to talk with again at the formal functions since Darian and Isis could not physically sit together. The chatter of the students filled the great hall. The hall was festively decorated with the traditional orange and black colors. The enchanted ceiling shown through to the clear night sky above and the cascade of stars that glittered in the massive darkness. A full moon was visible and combined with the candlelight cast an appropriate eerie glow on the room. It was the perfect Halloween weather.  
  
Overhead the ghosts sailed back and forth, some had fixed themselves up for Halloween in their best clothes. Others chose to emphasize the season by dressing to make them look scary or at least more dead. The only ghost that did not join in the festivities was the Bloody Baron, but this was not unusual behavior for the Baron.  
  
All the professors were sitting at the main table decked out in their finest robes. They chated merrily between themselves about the festivities and the relief that the grading of mid-terms was finally done. Professor Dumbledore stood up and raised his hand for silence. The hall became quiet within seconds and Dumbledore began to speak.  
  
"I'm so glad that we could come together on such a festive occasion. I wish all of you well for the rest of the semester and hope that tonight you have come with empty stomachs and full minds. However before we begin to feast, I have an important announcement to make. The professors at Hogwarts have decided to expand the curriculum to better educate you. Keep in mind this new class with only be required for the six year students and lower levels. The seventh year's students are more than welcome to take it but not required to have it to graduate. We have created a new History of Witchcraft class and with a new class comes a new professor, so without further ado I present your new teacher, Professor Erroll."  
  
On that note the main doors of the hall came open and a man walked briskly inside. It was him. The same man that Isis and Darian had run into. Darian and Isis looked toward each other in shock and recognition. They realized that they had forgotten about him and their meeting. Now the fears of what he had heard ran through their minds. Professor Erroll walked into the hall with an air of elegance and determination. His red hair was once again pulled back into a low ponytail at the base of his neck. His robes were a ruby color which brought out the green in his eyes. He confidently walked the length of the hall and placed himself at the end chair of the main table. A chair that Isis and Darian had failed to notice was empty before. Darian called out to Isis but immediately they felt the same pain as they had before. Both in union put their heads in their hands as they tried to see past the white light of pain. The discomfort effectively scattered any thoughts they had a moment ago.  
  
Dumbledore continued, "I hope that you will all give Professor Erroll the welcome and respect that any of the other professors would deserve and on that festive note let the feast and celebration begin. At the same time as the meals burst onto the table ghosts dived over the tables shrieking loudly and throwing black and orange confetti into the air. In the noise and celebration, Isis and Darian momentarily forgot the pain and more importantly the questions. They also failed to see the flicker of fear and anger that crossed the face of their father. 


	8. What Goes Up

What goes up.  
  
Darian and Isis walked slowly up the staircase leading to the dormitories. They were tired from the evening's festivities. Darian was eating a cupcake that she had taken before exiting the main hall and Isis was finishing off another pumpkin cookie. They reached the platform that led to the hallway separating their house dorms and paused. Darian turned left toward her dorm waving to her sister. "Night," she mumbled exhausted as she walked down the hall. "Sleep tight," Isis called after her as she turned to go to the Slytherin common room. The candles in the hallway were burning low, signs that they would be put out soon. Isis was alone in the hall, she and Darian had been two of the last people to leave the dining hall. They had been having a great time talking with Minya and Rainer. Even Nearly-Headless had been entertaining them with his ghostly tricks in the spirit of the season. Yes, they were both ready for a peaceful and long sleep. She decended the winding staircase and stepped out in front of the Slytherin portrait door.  
  
"Password," the old man barked. "Quid pro quo," Isis replied.  
  
She stepped into the common room and quickly noticed the stark emptiness. Only four or five students were in there. "I guess they went to bed, that does sound nice," she said to herself. She walked past the students sitting near the fire and talking and made her way up to her room. The bedchamber was dark and three of the beds already had sleeping students in them. Isis fetched her toothbrush and nightclothes from her bed table and made her way to the girl's bathroom. Her feet padded softly on the porcelain floor as she changed her clothes and brushed her teeth. Minutes later she was climbing into bed not far away from sleep.  
  
She was moments from sleep when she heard a soft voice.  
  
"Isis," it called.  
  
She rolled over and pulled her pillow over her head. "Not now father," she mumbled.  
  
"Isis." The voice became more insistent. "Isis, Isis, come here."  
  
After a few more minutes, Isis sighed loudly and threw her covers off. She climbed out of bed and walked to the door. "I should get out of my morning classes for this," she grumbled silently walking out the door and slipping into the common room. The fire in the fireplace was still burning, although much lower than it had just hours before. The room was empty, or at least from what she saw. She walked toward the portrait door to go to father's office when the voice stopped her. Fear started to creep into Isis's mind. It was coming from behind her. She slowly turned around and looked to the heavy armchair that sat in front of the fireplace. A figure was sitting there, cloaked completely from head to toe. Only one pale, gnarled hand was visible.  
  
Isis stood up a little taller trying to convince herself of her bravery.  
  
"Who are you," she asked in a whisper.  
  
The figure did not move. "Who are you," she asked again.  
  
Wordlessly the figure reached up and removed it's hood. Isis stepped back in horror. The face was old and disfigured. Pale skin stretched over bony features. He smiled at her exposing his sharp and dirty brown teeth. "I'm your fate," he hissed. Isis opened her mouth to scream, but no sounds came out. Suddenly the figure leapt from his chair and lunged at Isis. She stumbled backwards but wasn't fast enough. The man was upon her and placed his hands on her throat. His face was inches from hers. "Your mine, you will never get away," he screamed. His laughter mixed with her strained screams as she tried to pull his hands away. Her back was against the wall, she was trapped. She was still trying to claw her way free, even after the other students in the room of the bedchamber had removed her bedcovers and were trying to wake her up. 


	9. Must Come Down

....Must come down  
  
Darian sat up in bed.  
  
"Isis," she gasped.  
  
Something was very wrong.  
  
She jumped out of bed and ran for her bedchamber door. She threw the door open and ran to the common room, but she stopped just steps from the doorframe. She gasped and stepped back slowly. The floor, the walls, the furniture, the ceiling; all covered with spiders. Everything was moving under the wave of spiders. No surface in the room was devoid of life. Darian's breath caught in her throat and tears filled her eyes. She was shaking and didn't know it. "No," she whispered, "no, it's not real." Spiders, one of the few things in this world that she truly feared. Even as she thought this the spiders were slowly making their way toward her. They seemed to have a mind of their own, only one purpose. They were pooling around her feet. Some began falling from the ceiling onto her head and shoulders. This impact brought her out of her stupor as she shook herself off and ran back toward the bedroom. They followed her close behind. She ran as fast as she could but they slowly gained on her. She got to the door and tried the doorknob. It was locked. "No," shrieked Darian, "this isn't real!" She pounded on the door and screamed. "Someone help me, unlock the door, please!!" She turned around to face the mounting piles of bugs.  
  
She was still whispering when they overtook her. "It's not real, no, it's not real." 


	10. Dead Ends

Dead Ends  
  
Isis sat looking dejectedly at the letter before her. It had been a week since they has first begun having the nightmares, and they had not had  
  
a single nights rest since. Each night they were plagued with more and more horrible images, each night worse than the night before.  
  
She had been sitting in the dining hall since dawn trying to finish a letter to her mother. She looked over the letter for the hundredth time since   
  
she finished it. She was debating if she should write about what had been happening to herself and Darian. She knew that her mother would   
  
want to know, but she also knew that she would react badly and probably want them to come to Willowridge with her. She stared at the parchment   
  
until the words started to blur together. A noise shook her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see Darian walking up to her. There wasn't a   
  
bounce in her step, or a mischievous look in her eyes. Darian looked like a former shell of her normal person. "Hey," she said as she sat down.   
  
Isis looked at her, she figured that she looked as tired and worn as Darian did, she just didn't want to think about it. Food appeared before Darian   
  
and she picked up her fork. She didn't inhale her food as usual, instead she just played with her eggs. "What are you doing," she asked without   
  
looking up at Isis. "I'm writing to mom," Isis answered. Without a word Darian picked up the letter and quickly read over it. She placed it back in   
  
front of Darian and continued to pick at her food. "You're not going to mention what has been going on?" Isis looked at the letter and then back to   
  
her sister. "No, I didn't think it was wise, you know what she would do." "Wonder if father has written to her yet?" asked Darian. "I'm not sure,"   
  
answered Isis, "I don't know if he even knows himself."  
  
Darian ate a few bites, set her fork down and pushed her plate away. She placed her head on the table and wrapped her arms around it. Isis half   
  
expected her to fall asleep there. "It's almost time for class. We have potions next. Maybe we can talk to father after class. I really think it is time  
  
to let him know about this. I think that this is more than just normal nightmares." After a few seconds Darian raised her head up and looked at her   
  
sister. "Come on, I'll walk with you to the owlery before class." They both got up and walked out the door and up the stairs. A few minutes later found   
  
them in the owlery and tying the letter to Jareth's leg. He nuzzled Isis' hand as she attached it before hooting in delight at his early morning flight. Isis   
  
lightly touched his chest before walking over to the window and letting him go. Darian and Isis made their way back down the stairwell. As they reached   
  
the landing they ran directly into Professor McGonagall. She looked down at both girls with suspicious eyes. "You are up early today," she said. Isis   
  
met her eyes, "Yes, we were sending a letter to our mother." Professor McGonagall's eyes lit up for a second, "Ah yes, Morigain, I remember her, I keep   
  
forgetting that you are her girls. You have her hair and eyes, at least you Isis. Now run along you two, you don't want to be late for class. I will see you   
  
later Darian." With that she briskly walked up the steps. Darian and Isis watched her walk up the steps and then turned to walk to class.  
  
They were almost to class when Isis heard Mina and Rainar come down the steps behind her. Isis turned to talk while Darian kept walking in her own little world. "You didn't wait for us?" Mina said poutingly. "Sorry. I wasn't paying attention. We had to send mother a letter as well." Isis replied.  
  
Rainar looked from Isis to Darian, who was already at the door to the class room. "Man, what is wrong with you guys, you look like you haven't slept  
  
in days." Isis stifled a grin. "pretty close," she thought. They continued to walk to class. Both sisters were barely there, in a zombie like daze  
  
they walked down the halls. "Remember," spouted Minya, "we have that big test in class today." Isis and Darian both looked  
  
at each other in shock. "Perfect,"hissed Darian as she entered the class room. Their shoulders slumped a little more at the knowledge of a test  
  
that they were not prepared for. Even Isis would not fare well. The test alone would be a clue to their father that something was going on, if he  
  
didn't know already.  
  
Later on it class, Isis and Darian were having a hard time staying awake. The topic wasn't boring, she rather enjoyed listening to the lecture on mugwort but she couldn't keep her eyes open. She had been dozing in relative peace when she was jolted awake with a loud bang. She jerked up to come face to face with her father. "Miss Greymalkin!" She looked at the angry eyes of her father and tried to say something, but while her mouth moved, no word came out. "I see that you feel that you know so much that you do not need to pay attention, perhaps we are wrong and you should be teaching the class." Some of the students in the class snickered but they were quickly silenced when Snape's eyes fell upon them. "Both of you kindly stay after class so I may decide what punishment best fits this insolence" He quickly turned and walking up to the chalkboard began to lecture again. Isis looked over at Darian and saw shock and sadness in her eyes. After class the two remained where they were. Darian stared at a stain on the floor as Isis looked down at her notes, noth thought it best not to move until their father said something. "Girls," he said. They looked up to meet his face but not his eyes. "I'm sorry," they mumbled. "I believe we need to talk." 


	11. Time To Decide

Time to decide   
  
Darian and Isis could do little more than look at each other than face the harsh and probing eyes of their father.   
  
"We need to talk," he had said after the last student had left the dungeon-like classroom.   
  
He pulled up a chair and once sitting leaned forward with his hands steepled below his nose. He looked at his daughters   
  
in turn, as if waiting.   
  
"What," Darian finally said breaking the silence.   
  
Snape sat his hands on the table top. "You must be kidding. You both look horrible, like you haven't slept in days. Your   
  
grades are dropping and you hardly have anything to do with anyone in your house let alone each other. Now I demand   
  
an answer, what is going on?"   
  
Isis looked from the table to Darian to her father. "No, we haven't been sleeping."   
  
Snape sat back in his chair. "And," he replied.   
  
"And, we've been having nightmares." Darian added.   
  
"What kind of nightmares," he asked.   
  
Darian and Isis slowly related the nightmares that they had been having for the past few weeks. Snape listened intently   
  
with his breathing and looking from one daughter to the other as his only signs of life. After both had finished, Snape   
  
stood up and looked away from the duo.   
  
"Well, now, this sounds serious. Have you angered anyone in your houses as of late? When both girls nodded in denial,   
  
he spoke again. "Perhaps now you will consider leaving and going to Willowridge like your mother."   
  
Isis looked up at her father. "It is really that serious, these nightmares, that you feel we would be safer away from here with mother."   
  
He turned back to her, "Oh come now Isis, you know better than that. This is what I feared about; you both need to leave because   
  
someone knows."   
  
Isis stood up anger filling her voice, "Father, I don't want to leave. Besides if we really are in some kind of danger why not just talk   
  
to Dumbledore about it. He has power and influence, I'm sure he could help us."   
  
"No," Snape said sharply, "we will keep this between the three of us. Be glad that I haven't decided to expel you, I have done worse   
  
for lesser offenses from students."   
  
Darian, also having had enough of the mystery stood up. "Father, what's happening to us? Why all the secrecy? It seems like you   
  
are the one who has enemies that would profit from our misery and I bet you have one in mind too."   
  
Snape looked at them harshly. "Enough," he hissed. He stalked over to one of the cabinets that lined the walls and rummaged   
  
around in the various bottles. Isis and Darian watched him in silence not knowing what to expect.   
  
Their father turned back to face them with two small bottles in his hand. He walked back over the girls and handed each of them   
  
a bottle. Isis read the inscription but found it blank of any writing. She looked back to her father curiously.   
  
"It is a Sleeping Draft, it will help you sleep. And since you both are bound and determined to STAY! I will do what I can to find   
  
out what is going on." Isis and Darian's faces raised in happiness.   
  
"But," Snape added, "if you continue to experience any nightmares or have anything happen to you that you don't understand   
  
I want you to come to me directly. Are you clear?"   
  
Both girls nodded mutely. "Good, now go to bed. And don't get too comfortable, if anything else happens I won't think twice   
  
about yanking you out of this school."   
  
Isis stood up, followed closely by her sister. "We understand father, thank you."   
  
They turned to leave when a voice stopped them. "Girls, I'm serious, anything out of the ordinary."   
  
They nodded once again and walked out of the office. They headed down the hall and stopped at the corner. Isis turned to her sister.   
  
"I have to get to Transfiguration, I'll see you after class."   
  
"Ok," Darian said as she started down the opposite hall towards Charms class. Darian heard a voice in her head. "Remember,   
  
be careful."   
  
"Don't worry, Isis, I will," Darian replied. 


End file.
